Everyone with hardwood floors knows how important it is to care for them in the right way. You must make sure they are installed properly, cleaned correctly, and maintained well and regularly. Unfortunately, there are a few household disasters that can do a lot to ruin your perfect floors. Many of these household disasters are preventable but some of them are extreme and unexpected – reserved only for those of us with the worst luck! Every amount of effort that you put toward keeping your hardwood floor in shape is a minute that you will be grateful for later on. It is better for you to be extra cautious now than it is for you to have to completely replace your floors too soon. If this means creating barriers for your pets or having strict rules for walking on the floor, so be it. You will have beautiful floors and a full wallet.

Water isn’t the only threat to your floors. Moisture can cause hardwood floors to rot and warp and even mold. You will need to inspect your floor in order to discover mold buildup. Luckily, you can remove and refinish an area where mold was on the surface of the boards, but if it is underneath, it will be a much bigger task to handle. For this you will want to ask for professional assistance—especially since certain types of mold can be hazardous to your health.

Wood Floor-Eating Termites

Termites, carpenter ants, and wood-boring beetles can all live in your hardwood floors and destroy them from the inside out. If you notice your floors are exceptionally squeaky or sagging, give them a gentle tap to see if they sound hollow. If so, there is a good chance that you have some pests to take care of. Once again, you will need to enlist the help of a professional to take care of this problem. In most instances, termites won’t completely destroy your floors. But if you let it go long enough without addressing the issue, you could lose those floors that you love so much.

Annoying little Dents and Scratches

Just one scratch or cut in your floor may irritate you, but it doesn’t mean that it is ruined completely. However, deep scratches and dents can be a harder fix. It is possible to carefully buff and polish them out, but prevention is the best way to keep your floors shiny and dent-free. Watch out for pets with long nails, and high heel shoes that can constantly be moving across your floors, creating more and more damage. Also make sure that your furniture won’t scratch your floors if it is moved around. If you have shelves or loose objects around your floors, secure them to reduce the risk of them toppling over and denting your floors.

Damage-causing Acidic Spills on Floors

Even worse than a simple scratch is a full blown stain. Paint spills can be nearly impossible to remove from hardwood floors. Also, acetone (found in nail polish) and pet accidents deeply stain your wood floors and are impossible to remove. Your best solution in these instances is to strategically place your furniture or a rug to cover up the spot. Here are a few more wood floor damage repair Tips.

Note: Is there an extreme or severely irreparable household disaster occurring throughout your entire home and are seeking help after a disaster? Call the FEMA Disaster Helpline at (800) 621‐FEMA asap!